Consumer Reports is the worst. It only loves Toyotas and Hondas. In 1994, I still believed in CR. I bought a Ford Taurus SHO based on their "recommended buy" award for that car. The Taurus had been out for years at that point. The very next year, CR issued a new rating for the '94 SHO as a car to "avoid at all costs." I questioned CR and they never responded. BTW, the car lasted for 140,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance and still would be going strong if my son had not totaled it. So at the end of the day, CR , IMHO, is a worthless source of information. They base their conclusions on people who they query as to their experience with the product and as one can see from this forum, someone who is not happy with their car for whatever reason can be quite vocal and just slightly less than objective.

BreakThrough

11-22-12, 12:31 AM

Totally agree Capt. Mike. However, there are many who follow their recommendations religiously. They should stick to toasters, but alas, that isn't the world which we live.

CAPT Mike

11-22-12, 10:58 AM

Totally agree Capt. Mike. However, there are many who follow their recommendations religiously. They should stick to toasters, but alas, that isn't the world which we live.

Back in the day when I was an admin officer and an executive officer, I would "respectfully" say to my skipper to "make a decision sir." And that was after getting input from the staff. I guess people want someone else to make their decision for them so that if the decision was less than perfect, they always had someone to blame. So whether it's cars or Navy facilities or politics, nothing changes. Oh well, enjoy T-Day!

BreakThrough

12-05-12, 08:39 AM

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121204/CARNEWS/121209970

A recent view of Consumer Reports hate of CUE.

(http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121204/CARNEWS/121209970)

CAPT Mike

12-05-12, 10:46 AM

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121204/CARNEWS/121209970

A recent view of Consumer Reports hate of CUE.

(http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121204/CARNEWS/121209970)

The author forgot to include BMW's iDrive. They are all different and they all require your attention to acclimate to the mechanics of operation. Once that's "a given" the usability factor is at the level of a 3rd grader. Once again, I bring up my Navy career; every time a new form was developed and became the "new requirement," all you would hear were moans an groans from the folks who had been using the old format and "just couldn't get use to the new way." But, as with everything else, with use it became second nature and all the moaning and groaning disappeared. For me, CR is akin to Washington Lobbyists; they all have their own agenda or, for that matter, some politicians who have the "my way or the highway" attitude.

BreakThrough

12-05-12, 01:28 PM

It is refreshing to me to have Consumer Reports called out as not having the ability to figure out the system, while the author figures it out in 3 minutes.

CAPT Mike

12-05-12, 03:09 PM

It's just too bad that Autoweek doesn't have as wide a distribution as Consumer Reports. High and mighty CR really needs to get their butt kicked big time for all the "wonderful" and erroneous info that they have provided to their readers.

TulsaVic

12-06-12, 08:47 AM

CR provides an interesting, non-auto-geek point of view that differs from what you'll read in Autoweek/Car&Drive/MotorTrend and that has some value. Period. Based on my experience with other "recommended" products (vacuums, dishwashers, steam irons, etc.), all of which performed VERY unsatisfactorily, I certainly would not let their comments steer me away from a car that I found interesting. (I do find their writing style amusing. "But" is present in almost every sentence: The seats were comfortable but adjustment....; steering effort was good but on-center; dashboard was well laid out but buttons....etc.).

CAPT Mike

12-06-12, 12:26 PM

CR provides an interesting, non-auto-geek point of view that differs from what you'll read in Autoweek/Car&Drive/MotorTrend and that has some value. Period. Based on my experience with other "recommended" products (vacuums, dishwashers, steam irons, etc.), all of which performed VERY unsatisfactorily, I certainly would not let their comments steer me away from a car that I found interesting. (I do find their writing style amusing. "But" is present in almost every sentence: The seats were comfortable but adjustment....; steering effort was good but on-center; dashboard was well laid out but buttons....etc.).

You say "based on your experience...all performed unsat" and you prefaced that with "CR has some value." I would not say there is no value. Maybe I am just confused.

rustybear3

12-07-12, 06:55 AM

Worst part is the author continuously refers to CUE as being "fussy". Fussy is an adjective which can only refer to a "person" and not an "object". Like the author himself, he is fastidious about one's needs or requirements; hard to please.....fussy!!! lol. :bigroll:

DG2

12-07-12, 12:03 PM

Cadillac will have to address some of the CUE negatives as there is far too many articles written bashing the system. Hopefully they move faster then BMW did with simalar idrive negatives.

CAPT Mike

12-07-12, 04:25 PM

Cadillac will have to address some of the CUE negatives as there is far too many articles written bashing the system. Hopefully they move faster then BMW did with simalar idrive negatives.

Cadillac should follow BMW in not answering all the negatives because when you do the math, "all the negatives don't amount to much." The facts are that people balk at new stuff and computer glitches are not unusual but are not problematic as long as they are fixed. I lived through iDrive and now CUE. Once again, there is a learning curve (and anyone who says that they figured it out without checking the manual in 5 minutes is full of you-know-what). Once the familiarity level is there, the owner realizes that there was "much ado about nothing."

BreakThrough

12-07-12, 04:31 PM

As I say, let the market decide. Car sells well, and continues to sell well, don't change it. As far as cue usage, if you can use an iPhone, or iPad, and for some I realize that is an if, it is easy to use.

DG2

12-07-12, 04:33 PM

Cadillac should follow BMW in not answering all the negatives because when you do the math, "all the negatives don't amount to much." The facts are that people balk at new stuff and computer glitches are not unusual but are not problematic as long as they are fixed. I lived through iDrive and now CUE. Once again, there is a learning curve (and anyone who says that they figured it out without checking the manual in 5 minutes is full of you-know-what). Once the familiarity level is there, the owner realizes that there was "much ado about nothing."

True. But when there's smoke there is fire. My point is too many journalist saying the same. Yesterday s Bloomberg had a wonderful write up on the ATS but the authors negatives on Cue were unfortunate and tainted a great review

CAPT Mike

12-07-12, 05:31 PM

True. But when there's smoke there is fire. My point is too many journalist saying the same. Yesterday s Bloomberg had a wonderful write up on the ATS but the authors negatives on Cue were unfortunate and tainted a great review

I understand your logic, but one has to take into consideration what these "fruitflies" are saying about the techie stuff on other American vehicles as opposed to foreign vehicles and in a total category for "new" techno devices on vehicles. Ever read the crap they write about the Harley Davidson motorcycle? How about over the years of the Corvette, the Mustang, the Camaro? How about the Dodge Ram taking honors over the F-150? I believe that much akin to politics, it's where "the grease is." Guess I'm a little cynical.:D

DG2

12-07-12, 06:30 PM

I understand your logic, but one has to take into consideration what these "fruitflies" are saying about the techie stuff on other American vehicles as opposed to foreign vehicles and in a total category for "new" techno devices on vehicles. Ever read the crap they write about the Harley Davidson motorcycle? How about over the years of the Corvette, the Mustang, the Camaro? How about the Dodge Ram taking honors over the F-150? I believe that much akin to politics, it's where "the grease is." Guess I'm a little cynical.:D

Your talking to the right guy about Harley. I've been ridding for over 35 years and really admire Harley's both the bikes and companies. I often compare Cadillacs Iconic American image to that of Harley. I really can't speak to the CUE system as my two Caddys do not have so I am relying on the reviews. I'm sure it's good. I purchased a 2013 Buick Verano for my daughter with the intellink and I am impressed

CAPT Mike

12-08-12, 08:49 AM

Your talking to the right guy about Harley. I've been ridding for over 35 years and really admire Harley's both the bikes and companies. I often compare Cadillacs Iconic American image to that of Harley. I really can't speak to the CUE system as my two Caddys do not have so I am relying on the reviews. I'm sure it's good. I purchased a 2013 Buick Verano for my daughter with the intellink and I am impressed

I've been riding for nearly 48 years - current ride '08 FLHX: 17 bikes later. Currently have an '04 Vette and F-150 alongside the XTS4 and I can tell you that so far "all is well."

DG2

12-08-12, 07:25 PM

I've been riding for nearly 48 years - current ride '08 FLHX: 17 bikes later. Currently have an '04 Vette and F-150 alongside the XTS4 and I can tell you that so far "all is well."

Awesome !! I have 2006 35th Anniversary Superglide and BMW K1100RS. Escalade, STS. My STS has over 182,000 and rides and looks new ! That's the car that really made me a GM fan. I think like Harley's rennassence in the '80s Cadillacs comeback in the 2000 plus is very similar story. It will just take Caddy a few more years but they will be #1 again. I have no doubt.